The Forgotten Feather
by salt tea
Summary: Illicit, an experiment that was also given the 2% avian DNA, is forced to help the Erasers hunt down the flock. Eep, bad summary. First fan fic... I'll try to throw in some romance later. Review, or I'll send out my army of ninja turtles. :T
1. Chapter 1: Hey, Freak

. . .Am I meant to put something like 'I don't own this book or any of the characters' here? Yeah, well, I don't own any part of the 'Maximum Ride' series, but just so you know, some of the characters in _this_ story have been my own creation. Like the main character. Also, I haven't quite figured out where this story could lead to, so I'm just going to see how it plays out.

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**Chapter One - "Hey, freak.**"

I growled loud enough so he could hear me, and lifted my head off the ground, my light blond hair falling over my face. "You're just as much of a freak as I am." I countered.

Edge, the only other person in this god forsaken quarantine cell, sat in the corner, his knees pulled up to his chest, His strange black eyes watching me through his equally dark hair. The room spun for a bit, and when I was focused, I stretched out like a cat, and yawned. "You slept for even longer this time." Edge stated. I shrugged. "A gal needs her beauty sleep."

He snickered. "Don't lie, Illicit. When they brought you back in, you were so hyped up on drugs, you spun around the room saying that you were Mary Poppins."

I looked at him, trying to see if he were serious. His eyes gave away nothing, as always, but usually when he said my name it was the truth. I lifted my hand to my left eye, feeling the scar that ran down through the middle. This scar had been with me for years, ever since the School decided my vision should be enhanced. I couldn't feel any new scars, and I looked back up at Edge, a scowl on my face. "What did they decide to operate on, this time?"

"Your teeth, by the looks of it."

I ran my tongue along the edges of my teeth, and flinched when I felt the newly grown fangs in my mouth. I lifted my finger and did the same, flinching again when the tooth pierced my skin. "Now why in the world would I need fangs?!" I exclaimed, and Edge finally stood up, walking over to me. He lifted my chin and I opened my mouth so that he could also examine my new set of teeth. "I told you before. They want to send you out with the flying-mutts." Edge answered, letting go of me and trudging back to his ultimate-corner-of-doom.  
"I don't want to go. Besides, the dogs would totally eat me up." I murmured, half scared of what this institute could possibly do to me if I declined their offer.  
The 'mutts' and 'dogs' we kept referring to were kids, our age and younger, that had genes of both a human, and a wolf. When they wanted to, the were able to mutate into half-wolves, and pretty ugly looking half-wolves at that. They were the kind of thing you'd see in some poor kid's nightmare, gigantic and terrifying. They were like the law around the School, if any of us other human guinea pigs stepped out of line, they were the ones to set us straight. Yup, you heard me right, I'm a human guinea pig. I'm a freak.  
I'm different then the mutts though; my genes are made up of human and avian. For those of you out there who aren't quite sure on the term 'avian', it means bird. Yeah, stay in school.

So what neat tricks can Illicit do, right? Well, actually, only one thing sets me apart from being 'normal', if such a thing exists. I have large wings on my back, in an almost...angel like way, I guess. Although I'm far from angelic. Yes, I can fly. Not that I get the chance too often. I'm usually cooped up in a cell, and only once in a while do I get a little freedom. My wings are white, but they were so dirty and covered in mud that they appeared brown.

"Ellie? Ellie?" Edge called, breaking me away from my daydream. Ellie, my nickname, had started off as Illy, but then somehow changed to Ellie. It was a confusing process. I turned my head to Edge, who seemed to want my undivided attention. "Yeah, what?"

"Did you hear me at all?" He snapped, and, ignoring the anger in his voice, I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Edge, I wasn't paying attention. Please repeat what you just said." I said calmly, and it only seemed to frustrate him all the more, because he growled.

"I said, what are you going to do if they send you out?" He said through clenched teeth. I tilted my head and smiled. "For a hedgehog, you anger easily." I commented. His hand thrust out, and a sharp quill suddenly pierced my shoulder, making me jump. "Ow!" I hissed, pulling it out and throwing it across the floor, into a pile of other quills. I had started making a collection of them since he hit me the sixth time. I now had over fifty. "I told you, it's porcupine." He snarled, then added, "Now answer the question."

I held up my hand as an indication for him to wait, deciding to think about it carefully. The wolf-boys, or, Erasers as they had been called, had only one mission, as far as I knew, and it was to kill a bunch of kids that were exactly like me. Probably the only ones out there in the world who were like me. I had met one of them, Iggy. We were both having our eyes operated on at the same time, and he was more like my comforter, though I knew we were both scared out of our minds. We spent a few days together every month, but in that time he had been like my best friend, because we were both going through the same thing. I remember him talking about the rest of his flock, and how I wished I could join them. Despite where we were, he made it sound like the were one, big, happy family. And I envied him for it. My final eye operation was before his, and while mine had absolutely no effect on my eyes other than leaving a scar, I had no idea how his went, because I was dragged away and had never seen him again. I'd heard he had gotten out though, with the flock.

I pondered the question for awhile, before I was stabbed with another quill. "Hey! What the hell was that one for?!" I yelled, pulling it out of my arm. "Hurry up and answer the damn question." Edge replied. I growled, but answered anyway.

"I guess I'd have to go anyway. But what would they want me for anyway?"

"Don't you have some sort of natural compass?"

"I don't know, do I?"

"Stop answering my questions with questions." He demanded. I relaxed against the stone wall behind me, my bright green eyes closing as I yawned again. "I dunno. I'd guess I'd go." I said, opening one eye to peek at his reaction. He showed no emotion, as per usual, but his next question surprised me.

"Would you help take down the bird-kids?"

I opened both my eyes, watching him. I didn't think he knew about the flock, but then again they were the talk of the School. They were like celebrities in this messed up institution. I had already hesitated long enough for Edge to know my answer, but he still waited.

"I can't. But I have to."

Yeah. Go me and my brilliant contradictions.


	2. Chapter 2: Annoyance

I don't own the Maximum Ride or any of the characters that are also in the series. But I love you. (:  
Oh, and muffins are retarded cupcakes. **Cupcakes, ftw.**

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**Chapter Two - Annoyance.**

Edge and I sat in the quarantine cell for about -- maybe a few hours?  
It was hard to tell because I had been brought up in a cage for most of my life, and although I know that sixty seconds is a minute, and sixty minutes is an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, and so on, I hadn't really been able to use that information. Unless I wanted to sit there and count away each passing second.

Instead I sat in silence, because Edge preferred it. I twirled one of his quills in my fingers, boredom inspiring me to examine it. Continuously I would put it down, only to pick it right back up seconds later. Finally, I flicked it to the floor, away from me, and turned my eyes to Edge. His dark eyes flickered towards me for one short second, before he looked away, seeming to stare at nothing and everything at the same time. It was his thinking face.

I watched for _maybe _a few minutes, making it obvious that I was staring at him. He sat cross-legged in his favorite corner, as usual. More seconds passed. Suddenly, his blank expression ceased, and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He didn't look at me, but I already felt like I had won something, and deserved a gold medal or a declaration of honor.

"_What?_" he hissed quietly, looking like he was about to blow a fuse, and was desperately using all his might to restrain it.

I didn't answer him, instead, I shuffled forward so that I was right in front of him, lying on my stomach, with my chin in my hands, propped up by my elbows. My legs, which were in the air, began to kick slowly. I focused on him, watching his face as if I were making a documentary, my eyes being the cameras.

He shuffled further back into the corner uncomfortably. Yeah, Edge wasn't the type that liked to get close to people. Rather, the thought of closeness made him sick. Maybe he was scared of getting close to people. Oh, and I don't mean 'close' as in lovey-dovey friendship, "la la la la la~", I mean as in actually being _close_ to people. _Near _people. _Around _people. People _touching him._  
He became, edgy, I guess you could say. I figured it was a part of his animal genetics. Hedgehogs don't like people touching them, right? They curl into those little defensive balls of spikes, and get near a porcupine and you're likely to get a fistful of those annoying quills, that are actually quite painful.  
Not that Edge was a fan of 'lovey-dovey friendship'. That probably freaked him out, too.

Awkwardly, his eyes made contact with mine, and when I smiled, they desperately scrambled to look somewhere else._ Anywhere else._

I dragged myself closer again, so close that it would probably make anyone feel uncomfortable. I rolled over, and put my head on his knee, staring up at him, with a stalker-like look on my face.  
That did it.

He stood, faster than I expected a normal person could, and was on the other side of the cell while my head hit the cement floor with a 'thud'. Ouch.

"What are you _doing_?" He growled. I sat upwards, steadying my head with my hand. The room spun for a split second, but my vision cleared as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"I'm b_ore_d." I whined, dragging out the 'ore'.

"So?"

"So, I was testing my limits." I stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He growled again, and I flinched, awaiting the sharp weapons to strike my skin. When they didn't, I slowly opened my eyes.

He sat in my usual position, with that blank expression on again. I watched him in disbelief, slightly disappointed. I wanted attention, or at least for the silence to be broken. I pouted in frustration, then stood. I picked up the quill I was playing with earlier and sat next to him, patiently waiting for him to shuffle away from me. Okay, I lied about the 'patient' part, and when he didn't move, my belief and sense of what was real plummeted even further.  
Then I lifted the quill and stabbed him in the leg. He jerked away from me, and automatically shot a quill at me in defense. It grazed my skin, but didn't quite pierce it.

He pulled the quill out of his leg, and then it was his turn to look at me in disbelief. I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh. I couldn't hold it in, and began giggling like a hyena.

I was tackled to the ground, my arms pinned down by my side as Edge growled above me. His black hair fell in front of his eyes, and I took the opportunity to try and switch the odds around, but I couldn't even budge, and his grip on me tightened. I frowned in frustration, and waited.

"Don't do that ever again."

The one sentence sent shivers down my spine. It was a command with a warning, and it was threatening. It almost made me want to reach over for another quill and do it all again. With that, he got off me, walking back to his corner. With his back turned. Big mistake.

I stood up quickly and leaped towards him, trying to use the element of surprise. Of course though, I ended up somehow flung over him and on the floor, the wind taken out of me. My body felt numb, and I blinked rapidly to stop the ceiling from moving and duplicating. Edge's face came into view, his expression clearly reading 'Are you an idiot?'  
He reached down and grabbed my arm, pulling me up gently.

"You're gonna need some practice or something." He said, holding my shoulder to stop me from falling over.

"You're right. Especially if she's supposed to be flying with us."

I looked at Edge, trying to decipher what he had just said. He wasn't looking at me anymore though, his attention was directed at the door of the cell. I tried to look as well, when I fell, landing on my knees. I then realized Edge was no longer helping me stand.

I felt footsteps come towards me, and when my view focused, I froze. Standing in front of me, looking down at me like I was dirt, was an Eraser. A wolf-boy, a repulsive, mutated freak. I tried to move away, but his hand reached down and grabbed a fistful of my shirt, roughly pulling me up. I whimpered quietly, wanting be anywhere but within his grasp. I felt helpless.

"Come on. Looks like we'll have to get in some practice before we leave." His rough voice was louder than normal, and the sound made me flinch. Edge sat in the corner, his eyes emotionless as usual, but with what looked like an apology hidden somewhere in them.  
As I was taken from the cell, the eraser's claws slightly digging into my shoulder, I desperately wished I had some sort of defense. Maybe a shell, that I could pull myself into whenever things got scary or tough.

Or maybe even the ability to curl into a defensive ball of spikes.


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams

Ello everyone.  
So, I've been left at home alone for about a month. (Every child attacker's dream)  
That means, that I'll have to do things with my newly found responsibility, such as doing the dishes, the laundry, feeding the stray octupus under the deck, etc, etc.  
And this means less time for Illicit. ):

I'll try to update at least once a week or something, hope that helps.

ALSO! It's New Years Eve! Everyone have fun! Lots and lots of it! But stay safe, and watch out for bubble wrap calculators. They're a hazard to all.

Oh, and one last note: I'm at my mommy's work, in the office. And they don't have one of those spell check thingy-ma-bobs, so this chapter hasn't been spell checked or edited. :|  
And now you're probably wondering, "How can you be home alone if you have your mom around?"  
The answer to that, my friend, is simple.

I live with my dad. And he's gone to Australia with my step-mom, and left his fourteen year old daughter to fend for herself. Awesome, right?  
Yeah man, I'm so awesome.

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**Chapter Three - Dreams**

The Eraser led through a straight hallway, his hand gripped tightly on my shoulder as he pushed me through one of the many doors. He didn't say a word, and neither did I. I tried to act brave, dignified, but inside I was shriveling in terror.  
He pushed me down onto a wooden chair, grabbing my hands and tieing my wrists together behind the chair with what felt like a thick rope. I didn't find this necessary at all.  
Even if I did try to escape, there were no windows in the room, in fact the only exit was the door we had entered from.

After he had secured the knot, he stood and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
I waited.

When no one else came into the room, my fear turned into sheer boredom. I sighed, taking my concentrated gaze away from the door and around the rest of the room.  
It was dull. Dull, dull, dull, dull.

The floor was a smooth, gray stone, like something you'd find at any warehouse, I guess. It was dirty, and I could feel the dust under my feet.  
The ceiling was white. The wall to the left of me was white. The wall to the right of me was white. The wall in front of me was white. The door in front of me was white. I couldn't see the wall behind me, but I'm pretty sure it was white.

I sighed once again, but it was more of a frustrated sigh. Ah, what to do, what to do.  
I scanned the room once again, until I rested my eyes on the bright light coming from the boring LED tubes on the ceiling.

I decided to see if I had super powers, trying to use my ultra-super-dooper brain waves to blow up the fuse.  
It flickered, and I blinked in surprise. It was a normal thing for lights to do, especially at a crappy place like this, so I tried again.

Nothing happened.

I groaned, shifting uncomfortably in the chair, and re-focusing my gaze back on the door.

Nothing happened.

"Marco?" I called, my voice wavering a little.  
When no one answered, I slumped in my seat. I could stand being scared, being angry or sad, but being bored was just so frustrating.

So, I closed my eyes, and forced a yawn.

_"Hey. Hey, girl. Wake up."_

_My eyes fluttered open, and I pulled myself off the ground. Confused, I looked around.  
This wasn't my normal cage. When was I moved? Why was I moved?_

_"Hey, you okay?"_

_It was the same voice. The same voice that had awoken me from my slumber. Awoken me from being a princess-knight in a distant world, a different time.  
I peered into the cage next to me, but in my shrouded vision all I could make out were the bright blue irises staring at me._

_The boy, shuffled closer, his hands wrapped around the bars that conjoined our cage together. Now that he was in the light, I could finally make out what he looked like. He had strawberry blonde hair and pale skin. Behind him, half covered behind the darkness, I could make out dark brown wings speckled_ _with white. _(Author's note: Is this right? I couldn't remember, but google's only informationabout his wings were that they were the color of an albatrosses. And thats also what google says albatrosses wings are like. But then again, it's the nternet, so...)  
_My eyes widened in shock. The boy in front of me..he was like me. The only one like me._

_"You okay?" he asked again. I nodded, my words caught in my throat. He looked like he might have been a year older than me, about seven. He rested down on his knees, his hands sliding down the bars a little. "Names Iggy." He stated.  
I smiled. "Illicit." I answered. _

_He opened his mouth to talk, as did I, and we both said the same thing. "You have wings too."  
We laughed. My fear of not knowing where I was faded a little. I had a friend._

_"Do you know why we're here?" I whispered, trying to hide my voice from the white-coat that just walked in.  
He heard, and leant down by our cages._

_"To enhance your eyes. Give you the ability to see in the night, as easy as you see in the day." The scientist said it if it were the greatest thing in the world, as if we should be grateful for the opportunity. _

_I nodded, retracting back slightly. He frowned, and then left. I felt fear overwhelm me, lifting my hand to my eye, feeling the soft skin underneath it. _

_"Hey, don't worry." Iggy said. I had nearly forgotten about him. I looked at him. He put on a brave face, but it was easy to see the fear hidden underneath. It made me also put on a brave face, and push the fear aside.  
"We'll be fine. We'll get better eyes, and then maybe, you'll be able to meet the rest of the flock." He said, comforting me, as well as comforting himself._

_"The flock? You mean there's others like us?" I said, wonder showing in my eyes._

_"Yup. Max, Fang, Nudge, and Gazzy." He explained. I shifted closer to him, wanting to hear more. He smiled, and continued.  
"Max is the oldest. She's sort of like the leader, and someone you don't want to mess with. Fang is like the second in charge. He's sort of a loner, but not a loner at the same time. It's confusing. Nudge is younger than us, she's only four. She's sort of only learning to talk, but she won't shut up. The Gasman, Gazzy, is only a baby, but he's let off more gas than any adult in the building."_

_He continued with more, giving me a description of each member of his family, and then telling me stories about them. I listened in wonder and curiosity. Suddenly, I no longer feared my upcoming operation. In fact, I couldn't wait. I knew that after it, there'd be the possibility that I'd meet the flock, be apart of them. Have a family._

"Hey. Hey, wake up." A voice said gruffly.  
I snapped open my eyes, focusing on the man in front of me. No, it wasn't a man. It was a boy. A boy the size of a man.  
An eraser, not in wolf form. He still looked... unnatural, however. Too perfect. Sort of like a male-model.  
"Good, you're up." He stated, with fake enthusiasm.

I watched him, anxiously. "Why am I here? Is it really to help you find the flock?" I said bravely.

He smiled. "Find, and fight." He explained. "But you're going to need help with the fighting part, because apparently you couldn't even fight the hedgehog in your cell." His tone told me that he thought I was pathetic, inferior.

"Porcupine." I corrected. It was all I could think to say.

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Eep: The end kind of sucks, I know. But I couldn't think of anything, so, sorry! I'll try get the next chapter up soon, but in the mean time I have to go get the rabid monkey out of my kitchen. Chow!


End file.
